Odd choices fill Trump’s team
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS Climate change sceptic to head environment agency
WASHINGTON: As a billionaire himself, US president-elect Donald Trump may have been expected to turn to his wealthy friends and allies for his cabinet and other senior administration positions. But generals? He has never served in the military.
Trump has packed his team with generals and billionaires or millionaires, including his newest additions: retired general John Kelly, to head homeland security, and Linda McMahon, former WWE CEO, to head small business administration. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad was picked as US ambassador to China.
Trump named Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma attorney general with strong links to the coal and gas companies, to head the Environment Protection Agency.
According to reports, the billionaires and millionaires in the cabinet are Wilbur Ross, Todd Ricketts, Betsy DeVos, Steve Mnuchin, JeffSessionsandTom Price.
The cabinet, whose combined worth is estimated to be $35 billion, is still evolving, with the most high-profile post of secretary of state still open. If Mitt Romney, a former hedge-fund manager, gets it, that will be one more millionaire.
While critics have called it a return to the “greed is good” era of the 1980s, it’s the number of generals that’s causing concern. When announced, Kelly will be the third general in a senior position, after retired generals Mich- ael Flynn, the national security adviser, and James Mattis, the nominee for secretary of defense.
Mike Pompeo, picked to head the CIA, is also from the military. He served as a cavalry officer patrolling the Iron Curtain before the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Trump is said to be considering two more military leaders — retired general David Petraeus, who had headed the CIA, and retired navy admiral James Stavridis — for secretary of state.
Other s from the military on Trump’s radar included Admiral Mike Rogers, who heads the National Security Agency and is still on active duty, and retired generals Jack Keane and Stanley McChrystal, the reports said.
Presidents have picked generals before — Colin Powell was secretary of state for George W Bush and James Jones was national security adviser to Barack Obama — but rarely as many as Trump at one given time.